Various different grasses as well as grain crops are grown primarily for seeds and the value of such crops is determined upon the purity and germination factor of the harvested seed. The various different seeds are of course processed by various means preparatory to being sown and various different methods are used in testing the purity and germination factor of seeds in order to establish the price of a pound of seed which is paid to the seed grower.
At present the seed testing processes being used by various certified seed testing laboratories are at best only slightly consistent in that the percent pure seed reported by different laboratories on the same seed lot may vary a substantial amount and a seed grower may be paid only a fraction of the actual value of his crop as a result of an inaccurate seed testing process.
Further, seed processing plants utilize variously controllable equipment in processing seeds and changes in equipment operating controls during a seed processing run can greatly alter the seed purity and germination factor of processed seed. However, present seed testing apparatus and methods are so time-consuming as to substantially prevent any control changes of seed processing equipment during a particular seed processing run.
In addition, the actual condition of the seed at the time it is reaped can greatly affect the ultimate purity and germination factor of the seed after it has been processed. Here again, the present state of the seed testing art involves so much time as to prevent a seed grower from testing various areas of his seed crop immediately before the reaping of his crop in order to obtain the best possible seed from the field.
Accordingly, a need exists for a seed testing apparatus which will enable various seed lots to be rapidly, consistently and accurately tested for seed purity and germination factor. Not only will such an improved seed testing apparatus substantially reduce the cost of seed testing, but the increased rapidity in which seed lots may be tested will enable seed processing plants to test seed being processed during a seed processing run in order that various control changes of the process machinery may be made in order to improve the processing of that seed lot. In addition, increased rapidity and accuracy of such seed testing will enable seed farmers to test their seed in the field and to thereby reap their seed crop at the precise time which will afford them the maximum desirable quality seed.
Various different forms of classifying systems including some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,595,257, 1,861,247, 2,774,476, 2,939,579, 3,384,238, 3,620,370, 3,883,423 and 4,342,897. However, these previously known structures are not specifically designed to dehull and enable rapid testing of seed.